Month: January 2014

Earlier this month, a couple of our techs went to Vegas. Not for gambling, but to check out CES 2014. The Consumer Electronics Show, “CES,” is an annual showcase of what awesome new technology we can expect in the upcoming year.

They came back with no pictures. Boo! But they did have plenty of pamphlets and stories to share.

One new term that people have latching onto is the “Internet of Things.” Not sure what it is? Well, it’s a term worth knowing; especially considering that Cisco recently claimed it has the potential to be a trillion-dollar business.

The Internet of Things is the idea that everything can be connected or immediately accessible via the Internet. Home security systems are already stepping into this territory by letting you lock up your house from your phone. Car manufacturers are also ready to start building vehicles with Google’s Android operating system, making them the ultimate mobile device.

Smaller ideas include making items such as spoons and forks Internet or Bluetooth-ready. Why? Well… we’re not sure.

Some cool devices that our techs saw were Bluetooth tags. Clip a tag onto your keys or something else that you regularly lose, and then use your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone to find them again. Other hot items were camera accessories for iPhones, and customizable locks and stands for iPhones used in retail or other industries.

Of course, there was a wide variety of smartwatches available to play with too.

While the Internet of Things seems like a lot of fun, there are some drawbacks. If you’ve been watching the news lately, you know that a lot of retail chains have been under attack by hackers trying to steal credit card numbers. Imagine those people targeting your fully wireless, IP-enabled home. Suddenly the old lock and key method of securing things seems more practical.

A lot of this technology does have huge potential, which is why Cisco is right in assuming it will be a big business. The iPhone innovated how we thought of cell phones, so will another technology come along that innovates how we think of the Internet of Things? Stay tuned!